A video of a priest berating a 17-year-old mother at her child's baptismal ceremony made rounds on social networking sites. The priest angered the netizens when he was seen saying: “How shameful. You come here to have your child baptized without a husband. You slept with a man who is not your husband. Do you hear me, girl? Aren’t you ashamed?”
“I am now making a public apology to the mother of the child and her immediate family. The words I said and the rude attitude that I showed before I performed the rite of Baptism last Sunday, July 6, 2014 at the Sacred Heart chapel, Jagobiao, Mandaue City was indeed unbecoming.”
“I deeply regret that I have done this. I only later realized how cruel my ways to educate and impart lessons for the said event. I am deeply sorry to the mother of the child, her relatives, the sponsors and the witness of the incident. I am sorry to the internet viewers, to the media listeners and the viewers for this mistake. I personally admit. I am deeply sorry and I humbly ask your forgiveness. I execute this statement of apology on this 8th day of July 2014 at Cebu City,” he added.
Fr. Alfonso Suico Jr., media liaison, said in a statement that they were deeply saddened by the incident.
“As a religious community we do not condone such an unacceptable act as it is contrary to the Charism and Mission for which our Congregation was founded– compassion especially to the poor and the most abandoned. We sincerely feel for the family and to them we extend our heartfelt appology,” he said.
Suico said they will reach out to the family at the “appropriate and most opportune time.”
“We respect their situation at the moment and sympathize their hurt and anger over this matter,” he said.
As of today, the video was shared 31,982 times and recieved 297 comments and counting.
